New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-27
MEMORIES or THE MUSEUM FIRE
BARNUM'S BIG BLAZE IN BROADWAY

MENAGER1E MONSTERS AT LARGE-THE STREET,
BLocKADED AND STRANGE SIGHTS SEEN.
Inc burning OF Barnum's winter quarters I'm Dridc..
port recalls to all who remember It the excitement os
the burning, in midday and in the heart of the buos.
portion OF New-York, of the original Barnums Museum
on July 10, 1865. ~
icte were present there all tho circumst ances thai
o"i coirIDutc 10 sensational connagraton-the mn.
o"n oro"ued with visitors and employees, only OF
the moral show but also of the theatre which ~
Barnum euphemsically called tho lecture room tba
multitude of animals, great and small wild and tame
harmless and venomous or carnvorous the noss,hs
escape OF which kept all the spectators on the ou Viva
tho proximity OF important buildings endangered by tbo
IRE, as ST. Pauls Church and the Astor House from
the windows OF which Fighting Joe IIookcr7 fresh
from the field Of battle viewed the fire: the excltn,
ana demonstravc methods Of tho old fire department.
Tor which the subjugatOn Of this fire was one of the I
Conspicuous trumphs; and the stOppage Of all traffic
On Tic busc,t thocoUghfaIe the continent
ihc interest In the fire for the surglng crowd that
eahered was constantly whcted by incident after In
coent and by the appearance after another Of tho
familiar hcakS" Of the great Barnum collection A.
no uhe was the excitement greater than when Anna
swan the glanteSs with the fat lady on one arm and
INC ohgharcd, plnkeycd albinO the Other pressed
through the multitude and sought safety and secluslon
rom non-paylng audience in a Futon-st hotel
nier mem MED the ballet girls, partly ready for re-
hcafSal OF the new transformation extravagaDza
harrison, the vocalist who imprOyi,ed impromptu
verses on the people in the lecture room told bow
the propretos OF basement billiard room objected to
having tho wax "fggersn-which seemed ia he tha
concern Of nearly all who tried to save ANYTHING
dragged through their place, not knowing there was
hIc The intrepid fireman who lowered from a window
the enigy Of Jen7 Davis In pettcoais was hooted for
MS pains by the patriotic crowd, who promptly seized
mo counterfeit presenment of the chief Of the dead
~Onfederacy and hanged a lamp post around which
they danced singing the wcwOrn Apple trees ditty
OF the day. When Daniel Lambert's bulky form was
handed down. It's waxen countenance dripping with
lire born perspiratIon all hands raised to assist
what was taken to be the fat woman.
The street gamns were facetious over what WA
supposed to be going within the burning building,
and called loudly for boiled whaIe,7 fried snakes,
broiled monkey" roast elephant and other dell.
cacle' vi the OCCASION Pitch NE out the boa
srictor,7 shouted one, want it for a tippet' How
you, Learned seal - heartlcssly called another
But Ned who had delighted many by his Intelligent
tricks, was safe enough lie and tie brown bear who
was said 10 have clambercd down the rc-escapc were
the only animals saved alive. SAMSON the man
killing gizlly, had been removed from the museum
before the fire
The whistle of the then new steam fire engine at
tracicd much attention, bur before learned Whers
The noise came from 1t thought to be the elephant
escaped and trumpejing the street, and thre was
general dash for the raHgs Of -. laus ciurchya
The stceplc = Paul's In danger and
George Mashington's billiard table the same proba.
bly,, over which be uttered what local comic paIer
recently quoted As his only prcvarcatlOu: 81 don't
play any thing like the game used tO"-Was destroyed
ia a billiard saloon reached BY the fire. business
deserted, and the stores within long radius from
liOadWdy and Aun-st. were closed, partly against
thieves and partly that the proprieors might tho
Barnum's sOnIn-law and partner recovered from hlJ
safe 100000 IN Government bonds.